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Reptiles

Chameleon

Chameleon · Chamaeleonidae

Chameleons impress with their play of colours and bulging eyes – discover these patient hunters in the green hideouts of the wilderness.

Fact file

Size: Most species grow to 15 to 50 centimetres in length and weigh between 30 and 200 grams
Males and females: Males are often more strongly coloured and in some species have larger head crests
Sounds: They produce a soft hissing sound when threatened, otherwise they are usually silent
Diet: They feed mainly on insects such as grasshoppers, flies and beetles
Offspring: Depending on the species, females lay 10 to 40 eggs, with live-bearing species being rarer

How to identify Chameleon

Chameleons fascinate with their changing palette of colours, which varies according to mood, temperature and surroundings. Typical are bright shades of green, brown tones through to yellow or blue. The scaly texture looks rough, the skin is usually matt, and the most striking feature are the outwardly bulging eyes, which can move independently of each other.

Their long, often coiled prehensile tail and the decorative head crests or helmets make chameleons unmistakable. Their delicate limbs end in split gripping hands, ideal for holding on to branches. With their slender, laterally flattened silhouette, chameleons also stand out from similar reptiles.